The  Pagoda 

TYPE  OF  CHINESE 
ARCHITECTURE 


D.  J.  KAVANAGH,  S.  J. 

THE     MARBLE     PAGODA 
Built    in    617    A.    D.       The    hand-carved    statues    of    Bud- 
c'ha     and    of    thr    warrior-kings    are 
state    of    preservation. 


still     in    an    excellent 


The  Pagoda 


BY 

D.  J.  KAVANAGH,  S.  J. 


The  James  H.  Harry  Company 

1122-1124     MISSION'    ST. 
SAN'     FRANCISCO 


>  ,      »      *  1         " 

,  '»  >  >  >  '  * 


*  *  • 


C0 

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u  Library 

17 


FOREWORD. 

* 

It    was   tki   easy   task   to   gather   together   the 
material     out     of     which     the     following-     little 
sketch    has   been   constructed.     Very   main-   au- 
thors   refer    to    the    Pagoda    and    speak    of   its 
architectural  and  artistic  magnificence,   hut   few. 
if   any, — certainly   not   one   whom    1    could    find. 
— tell    us,    with    any    degree    of   precision,    what 
Pagodas    really    are.    why    they   were    originally 
built,  or  to  what  uses  they  were  subsequently 
applied.      Brother    Peck.    S.    J.,    and    his    asso- 
ciates   in   the    Chinese   Orphanage    at   Zi-ka-wei 
are,    therefore,    the    pioneers    in    this    particular 
»    held  of  archeological  research.     To  him  and  to 
Sj    them    I   am   indebted    for   whatever   of   scientific 
S    value  this  sketch  may  possess. 
ag        I  am  fully  conscious  of  its  very  many  imper- 
^    fections,    hut    it    was    found    necessary    to    offer 
cj    some    explanation    of    what,    in    the    opinion    of 
many,    is    the    most    interesting    exhibit    in    the 
Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition.    I  shall 
welcome    all    suggestions    which    anyone    more 
conversant  with  the  subject  may  be  kind  enough 
to  offer. 

Rev.  D.  J.  Kavanagh,  S.  J., 

Palace    of  Education.    Exposition    Grounds, 
Sou   Francisco. 


<jy.'?03r> 


THE  PAGODA. 

Only  a  few  years  ago  the  eyes  of  the  world 
were  turned,  with  re-awakened  interest,  upon 
the  most  ancient  of  nations.  Unchanging  China, 
age-old  product  of  Taoism.  Confucianism  and 
Buddhism,  was  in  the  throes  of  a  revolution, 
which  marked  the  passing  of  the  Chinese  Em- 
pire and  the  birth  of  the  Chinese  Republic. 
With  the  birth  of  the  Republic  was  born  also 
a  spirit  of  friendliness  toward  the  outside 
world.  The  doors  of  China,  at  which  for 
centuries  the  nations  of  the  West  had  knocked 
unheeded,  were  thrown  open  and  an  oppor- 
tunity was  given  to  study  in  detail  the  charac- 
teristics of  Chinese  civilization  which  had 
hitherto  been  manifested  in  rare  and,  for  the 
most  part,  poorly  defined  glimpses.  It  had 
been  known,  chiefly  through  the  revelation  of 
the  missionaries  who  succeeded  at  times  in 
penetrating  into  the  very  precincts  of  the 
Emperor's  palace,  that,  long  before  the  peo- 
ples of  Western  Europe  had  abandoned  their 
existence  as  nomad  hunters,  the  Chinese  were 
living  in  settled  communities.  It  had  been 
known,  too,  that  the  Chinese  had  always  shown 


8  The  Pagoda 


a  keen  interest  in  everything  that  was  intellec- 
tual and  artistic  and  that,  while  in  all  the  de- 
partments of  science  and  art.  they  had  risen 
to  high  achievement,  in  some  lines  they  had 
never  heen  surpassed.  Their  art.  it  is  true,  is 
unique,  hut  so  is  the  art  of  all  great  peoples. 
Egypt  suggests  the  pyramids;  Babylon,  the 
huge  palaces  and  the  hanging  gardens;  Greece, 
the  Doric  and  Ionic  temples  with  their  noble 
restraint  and  exalted  beauty;  Koine,  the  tri- 
umphal arch,  the  forum,  the  amphitheater  and 
the  stately  villa.  The  unique  characteristic  of 
Chinese  art  is  found  symbolized  in  the  Pagoda 
and  it  is  of  the  Pagoda  that  we  intend  to 
speak. 

I. 

RELIGIOUS  ORIGIN   OF    1111'.   PAGODA. 

There  have  heen  very  many  theories  ad- 
vanced in  an  endeavor  t<>  explain  the  origin 
and    the    purpose    of    the    Pagodas.      Some    have 

argued  that,  because  they  are  often   found  near 

tlie  hanks  of  rivers,  streams  and  canals,  they 
were  originally  intended  to  serve  as  light- 
houses for  the  guidance  of  navigators  or  as 
beacon-towers,  in  time  of  war,  to  warn  the 
approach  of  an  enemy.     <  Ithers  have   regarded 


THE    GREAT    PAGODA 
Built    in    1160    A.    D.,    it    is    the    most    beautiful    in    China. 


io  The  Pagoda 

them  as  monuments  erected  in  honor  of  great 
personages  or  in  commemoration  of  greal 
events.  Others  again  seek  their  origin  in  relig- 
ion, though  they  are  undecided  whether  the 
Pagoda  was  religious  merely  in  the  building  or 
intended  for  subsequent  use  as  a  temple  or 
place  of  worship. 

The  word  itself  Pagoda  (peh-kuh-t'a)  mean- 
ing a  "white  hone  tower"  offers  no  key  to  the 
solution  of  the  problem.  Sometimes,  however. 
perhaps  more  frequently,  it  is  called  a  "pao-t'a" 
and  though  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word  is 
"preeion>  tower."  there  seems  to  he  some  sug- 
gestion that  the  building  was  "precious"  not 
only  by  reason  of  its  luxuriant  ornamentation. 
but  also. — and.  in  some  cases,  chiefly — by  rea- 
son of  the  "sacred"  or  "religious"  purposes  for 
which  it  was  destined.  With  the  Chinese,  "relig- 
ious," "sacred"  and  "precious"  are  almost  syn- 
onymous terms. 

Apart  from  the  name,  however,  there  are 
other  means  of  determining  the  original  purpose 
of  tin-  Pagoda.  In  the  first  place  die  theories 
that  conflict  with  the  religious  character  of 
these  towers  may  very  easily  he  dismissed.  The 
lighthouse  theory  is  puerile.  True,  the  Pagoda 
is    frequently    found    on    the    hank,   of   rivers   and 

streams,   but   the   light    of   recent    research    has 


TAMING-FU 
Specially     noteworthy    for    its    elaborate    carvings.      The 
Buddhas     in     the     center    panels     are     nearly    20    feet     in 
height.      Their    conspicuous     presence    renders     impossible 
all    doubt   of  the    religious    character   of  the    Pagodas. 


12  The  Pagoda 


revealed  that  this  is  not  always  the  case  and 
that,  when  it  is  so,  it  manifests  the  appreciative 
genius  of  the  Chinese  builders  who  invariably 
chose  a  site  that  would  lend  a  natural  beauty 
to  their  highly  embellished  structure.  What 
they  intended  and  generally  obtained  was  a 
blending  of  art  and  nature  in  Mich  a  way  that 
the  Pagoda  seems  part  of  the  scenery  and  the 
scenery  a  complement  of  the  Pagoda.  That 
the  Pagodas  were  sometimes  used  for  signaling 
purposes,  both  for  the  benefit  of  navigators  and 
warriors,  no  one  can  deny,  hut  to  build  such 
colossal  towers,  and  to  ornament  them  with 
the  luxury  of  artistic  embellishment  for  these 
purposes  only,  was  as  far  from  the  original 
plan  of  the  Chinese  constructor-  as  to  build 
the  Cathedral  of  Rheims  for  war-purposes  was 

from    the   intention   of  the    Medieval    French. 

The  second  theory,  according  to  which  the 
Pagoda  was  a  monument  erected  in  honor  ot 
great  persons  or  in  memory  of  great  events,  is 
not  so  easily  disposed  of.  It  is  an  admitted 
fact  that,  at  least,  in  the  period  of  Chim 
history  that  corresponds  to  our  Middle  Ages, 
some  Pagodas  were  erected  for  monumental 
purposes.  We  are  told  in  Chinese  annals  thai 
the  famous  Porcelain  Pagoda  of  Nanking  was 
:    in     V    D.    1423   by   an   • 


THE     FAMOUS     PORCELAIN     PAGODA     OF     NANKING 
Also    called   the    Pagoda   of   Gratitude.      329   feet    in    height. 


14  The  Pagoda 


Ming  Dynasty  in  memory  of  his  mother.  The 
native  writers  also  tell  us  that  five  precious 
pearls  were  placed  <  >n  the  roof.  One  of  these 
was  meant  to  prevent  the  terrible  inundations 
caused  by  the  recurrent  overflowings  ot  the 
river  Yang-tze,  the  second  to  guard  against 
conflagrations,  the  third  to  calm  high  winds, 
the  fourth  to  check  sandstorms,  and  the  fifth, 
called  "The  mighty  shining  pearl."  to  Forestall 
all  attempts  made  to  disturb  public  peace  dur- 
ing the  hours  of  the  night. 

What  is  true  of  this  Pagoda  at  Nanking  has 
been    found    to   be    true    of   other    Pagodas    as 

well;  but  in  the  first  place,  the  Chinese  were 
careful  in  such  instances  to  distinguish  their 
memorial  towers  from  the  Pagodas  properly 
si i  called.  What  is  called  by  outsiders  the 
Pagoda   of   Nanking   is   known   to  the   Chinese 

not  as  a  "Pao-t'a"  nor  as  a  "Peh-kuh-t'a,"  hut 
simply  as  a  "fa."  or  tower. 

In  other  instances,  where  the  building  is 
commemorative  of  ancestors,  it  is  found  that 
the  niches  are  reserved  for  memorial  tablets 
instead  of  for  the  idols  that  are  invariahh 
\in\w\  in  the  Pagodas.  Moreover  the  Chinese 
explicitly  distinguish  between  the  "Pao-t'a"  or 
-acred  tower  and  the  "Toov-tang"  or  what  we 
.should   call   a    "hall    of    fame." 


The  Pagoda  i 5 


But  even  apart  from  this  clearly  defined  dis- 
tinction between  the  sacred  and  the  secular 
edifice,  and  the  further  consideration  that  the 
"t'a"  is  of  recent  date,  it  would  be  quite  pos- 
sible to  admit  the  memorial  character  of  the 
Pagoda  and  to  maintain,  at  the  same  time,  that 
it  is  none  the  less  religious.  The  reason  is 
obvious  to  all  who  know  that  one  of  the  pre- 
dominant traits  of  all  of  the  Oriental  religions 
is  the  worship  of  ancestors.  It  makes  very  lit- 
tle difference  whether  the  ancestors  are  far 
removed  in  point  of  time  or  but  recently  de- 
parted, the  honor  paid  to  them  is  a  part  of  the 
religion  of  China  and  even  if  the  Pagoda  orig- 
inated in  this  idea  alone  it  would  come  under 
the  general  heading  of  a  religious  temple. 

Still  more  conclusive  arguments  of  the  relig- 
ious origin  of  the  Pagoda  are  available.  When 
in  the  year  65  A.  D.  at  the  express  invitation 
of  the  Emperor  Ming-Ti,  the  Hindoo  Bonzes 
introduced  Buddhism  into  the  Celestial  Empire, 
it  was  but  natural  that  with  the  leligion  they 
should  bring  its  outward  forms  and  expres- 
sions and  among  these  outward  forms,  the 
Hindoo  "Gopura"  or  tower-temple  was  not  the 
least.  There  is,  it  is  true,  an  architectural  dif- 
ference between  the  "Gopura"  and  the  "Pa- 
goda," but  the  difference  seems  to  consist  chiefly 


1 6  The  Pagoda 


in  this,  that  the  latter  is  an  exaggerated  embel- 
lishment of  the  former.  The  Buddhist  origin 
of  the  Pagoda  is  beyond  all  question  an  estab- 
lished fact.  The  "All-Precious  Pagoda"  of 
I  hi-li.  for  instance,  is  literally  covered  with 
images  and  paintings  of  Buddha,  while  there 
i^  scarcely  a  single  Pagoda  in  the  whole  extent 
of  China  that  has  not  several  such  images. 

If  it  be  argued  against  this  conclusion  that 
some  of  the  Pagodas  are  doorless  and  that 
therefore  it  is  impossible  to  regard  them  as 
temples  of  worship,  the  answer  is  not  far  to 
seek.  This  is  true  of  very  few,  and  though  in 
such  cases  there  can  he  no  question  of  "a  tem- 
ple."' there  is  ample  proof  that  the  religious 
motive  was  not  wanting.  It  was  held  by  the 
Chinese  that  the  very  building  of  such  a  monu- 
ment was  an  act  of  religion,  sufficient  to  estab- 
lish the  claim  of  the  builder  to  "merit."  Hence 
it  sometimes  happened  that  the  building  once 
completed,  was  forthwith  abandoned  and  neg- 
lected. The  builder  had  gained  his  "merit" 
and  others  had  no  reason  to  interfere  in  what 
had  already  been  accomplished.  It  is  tor  thi> 
reason    that    the    material    of    construction     was 

often   perishable.     There  is  not.  at  the  present 

daw     a     single     Pagoda     in     a     siatr     of     perfect 

preservation.     Mosl   of  them  are  either  rapidly 


YUENPING-HSIEN 

A      masterpiece      of      14th      century     architecture.  The 

carvings    show    remarkable    skill    and    artistic    taste.  The 

warrior-kings   that    surround    the    second    story    have  been 
faithfully     reproduced     in     actual     size     by    the     Zi-ka-wei 

orphans.      Six    of    these    reproduced    statues    may    be  seen 
at    the    Exposition. 


8  The  Pagoda 


disintegrating  or  already  in  utter  ruin.  This 
fact,  that  the  Pagoda  was.  at  times,  abandoned 
to  tlie  destructive  elements,  merely  indicates 
that  though  the  religious  idea  was  always  pr<  - 
ent,  it  was  not  always  present  in  the  Name  way. 
Sometimes  the  purpose  was  to  construct  a  tem- 
ple; at  other  times  to  make  an  offering  to  the 
( Chinese  deities. 

'There  were  many  religious  and  semi-religious 
legends  connected  with  the  Pagodas.  It  was 
said  of  the  "Flowery  Pagoda"  of  Kwangchow- 
fu  that  if  ever  its  vane  were  to  fall,  evil  would 
come  upon  the  city,  and  it  is  told  in  Chinese 
annals  that  when,  on  two  occasions,  the  vane 
did  fall,  evil  times  resulted  as  a  punishment 
for   the    neglect    of   an    irreligious    people. 

Add  to  these  considerations  the  particular 
names  by  which  the  Pagodas  were  originally 
known, — most  of  them  religious  in  character, 
as  ••The  Heaven  Conferred,"  "The  Celestial 
Rest.'-  etc.. — add  moreover  the  undeniable  fact 
that  though  some  were  isolated,  most  of  them 
were  in  the  court-yards  of  the  Buddhist  monas 
teries,  and  there  can  he  no  doubt  that,  what- 
ever the  occasional  uses  might  have  been,  the 
original  idea  of  the  Chinese  builders  was  en- 
tirely  religious   in  character. 


The  Pagoda 


19 


II. 

ARCHITECTURAL    FEATURES    OF    THE 
PAGODAS. 


What  strikes  the  Western 
visitor  on  first  entering 
China  is  the  dominance  of 
the  roof  in  all  their  archi- 
tecture and  especially  in  the 
Pagoda.  It  is  this  feature 
more  than  any  other  which 
renders  their  buildings  so 
novel  and  gives  them  their 
chief  claim  to  beauty  of 
form.  Next  to  the  quaint- 
ness  of  these  roofs,  the  num- 
ber, the  variety,  and  the 
beauty  of  the  Pagodas  at- 
tract one's  attention.  One 
finds  them  all  over  the  Re- 
public, in  the  walled  cities, 
in  the  small  towns,  in  coun- 
try districts,  and  even  in  the 
remote  uplands  of  Tibet,  but 
they  are  generally  in  or  near 
cities  or  on  the  banks  of 
rivers  and  streams. 

They  are  graceful,  highly  ornamented  towers. 


The   West   Wood 
Pagoda 

One  of  the  oldest  in 
China,  an  admirable 
example  of  the  pre- 
vailing  type   of  roof. 


20  The  Pagoda 


consisting  of  seven,  nine,  thirteen,  or  some- 
times more  stories.  Each  story  is  surmounted 
by  a  tiled  roof  with  the  characteristic  Chinese 
upturned  corners.  A  peculiarity  about  the 
number  of  stories  is  that  it  is  always  odd.    The 

Pagoda  of  Tai-li-fu,  with  its  sixteen  stories,  is 
the  only  exception. 

They  are  generally  octagonal  in  shape,  though 
some  are  square,  others  hexagonal  and  at  least 
one  round  Pagoda  is  known  at  Kwangchoo-fu 
in  the  province  of  Kwantung.  All  Pagodas 
diminish  in  the  height  and  width  of  their 
stories  as  they  ascend.  Thus  their  builders 
secured  for  them  graceful  tapering  proportions, 
saving  the  small  ones  from  being  squatty  and 
stubby,  and  the  lofty  ones  from  appearing  sud- 
denly truncated.  The  tiles  of  the  roof  which 
surround  tin-  stories  are  highly  colored,  usual- 
ly in  green.  The)  are  almost  invariably  built 
mi"  brick,  with  a  facing  of  stone.  At  Yen:.;- 
chow-fu  in  the  Province  of  Shan-tung,  there  is 
a  Pagoda  built  of  iron  and  at  Nanking  in  the 
Province  of  Kingsu  there  is  one  built  entirely 
of  marble.  Though  erected  in  A.  I).  617  the 
Marble  Pagoda  is  one  of  the  most  graceful  and 
one  of  the  mosl  beautiful  both  in  design  and  in 
ornamentation.  It  has  five  Stories  and  is  only 
sixty    feet    in    height  :    but    it    i-    covered    fr< 


The  Pagoda 


2\ 


base  to   summit   with   most   wonderful  carvings, 
all  in  a  very  good  state  of  preservation.     More 

in    the    reign    of 
the    white    Jade 


than  a  thousand  years  later 
K'anglisi  (A.  D.  1662-1723), 
Pagoda  was  erected  in  Peking. 
It  resembles  the  Marble  Pa- 
goda of  Nanking  in  being 
rather  small,  only  75  feet  in 
height.  It  also  is  covered  from 
hase  to  summit  with  most  elab- 
orate carvings  and  is  equally 
beautiful  in  design.  Previous 
to  the  revolution  of  the  long- 
haired rebels  in  1853  there  was 
at  Nanking  the  famous  "Por- 
celain Tower."  It  was  octag- 
onal, with  nine  stories  and 
three  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
feet  in  height.  On  account  of 
its  beauty  of  form  and  elabo- 
rate ornamentation  it  was  for 
centuries  one  of  the  wonders 
of  the  East :  but  this  did  not 
save  it  from  the  vandalism  of 
the  rebels  who  captured  the  city  in  1853  and 
razed  the  beautiful  Pagoda  to  the  ground  in  1856. 
Nearly  all  of  these  Oriental  towers  have  two 
walls.     Thev  mav  be   said   to  be   towers   within 


A    Typical    Square 
Pagoda 


22  The  Pagoda 


towers.  The  spiral  staircase  which  passes  from 
story  to  story  is  placed  between   the  outer  and 

inner  walls,  each  of  which  may  be  six  or  seven 
feet  in  thickness.  A  striking  peculiarity  about 
some  of  the  Pagodas  is  that  they  are  noticeably 
out  of  plumb;  some  even  are  genuine  leaning 
towers,  reminding  one  of  the    Tower  of  Pisa. 

III. 

TIN.    RESTORATION    OF   THE    PAGODA. 

Archeological  students  are  for  the  most  part 
satisfied  when  their  research-work  has  been 
pushed  SO  far  as  to  enable  them  to  outline  on 
paper  or  in  imagination,  the  original  propor- 
tions of  some  crumbling  monument  of  antiq- 
uity. When  we  hear  of  the  Roman  Forum 
"Restored."  we  think  of  a  picture  with  complete 
details  of  temples,  of  arches,  of  via  sacra  and 
of  toga-clad  Romans  hurrying  to  and  fro  amid 
the  monumental  Structures.  Such  an  achieve- 
ment is  worthy  of  the  archeologist,  hut  it  is 
not  the  most  perfect  form  of  restoration.  If, 
instead  of  the  picture,  you  could  see,  in  minia- 
ture, all  the  primitive  buildings,  the  fluted  col- 
umn^, the  massive  arches,  the  relief  work  faith- 
fully reproduced  in  even  the  minutest  detail. 
the  statm-   that   adorned   the  buildings,  the  tri- 


THE    OUTLOOK    PAGODA 
turl°  fCet   in    hCight'    rePai>ed    by   Wanlih   in   the   16th   cen- 


24  The  Pagoda 


pods    for    the    incense-offerings,    the    altars    of 

sacrifice,  all  arranged  in  their  proper  relations 
of  size,  of  distance  and  of  height,  you  would 
have  more  opportunity  to  study  the  original 
grandeur  just  as  it  was. 

It  i-  precisely  this  fonn  of  restoration  or, 
more  properly  speaking,  reproduction,  that  has 
resulted  from  years  of  painstaking  research 
among  the  ruins  of  China's  many  Pagodas. 
Brother  Beck,  S.  J.,  the  director  of  the  wood- 
carving  establishment  at  Zi-ka-wei,  was  not 
content  with  a  mere  outline  on  paper  of  <  "Inn 
architecture:  he  set  himself  the  task  of  repro- 
ducing in  exact  detail  all  of  the  famous  Pa 
godas. 

The  task  was  gigantic,  not  only  by  reason  of 
the  work  which  it  entailed,  and  the  expenses 
that  would  naturally  have  to  he  incurred,  hut 
also,  and  chiefly,  because  he  was  a  pioneer  in 
the  field.  <  Hhers  had  studied  and  admired  the 
Pagodas  of  the  sea-board  provinces,  some  had 
secured  photographs  of  their  present-day  disin- 
tegration and  not  a  feu  had  written  ahout  their 
origin    and    the    different    purposes    for    which 

they  had  often  been  used;  hut  no  one  had  taken 
up  the  subject  in  it-  entirety  until,  a  few- 
years    ago,    Brother    Beck    of   Zi-ka-wei,    began 

his   monumental   work. 


The  Pagoda  2c; 


1  fe  was  admirably  equipped  for  the  task. 
Besides  the  encouragement  received  from  the 
Chinese  Government  authorities,  who  deeply 
appreciated  the  idea  of  restoration,  and  the 
freedom  he  had  in  consulting  historical  docu- 
ments and  national  archives,  the  Jesuit  Brother 
had  the  exceptional  advantage  of  being  in 
direct  communication  with  his  fellow  mission- 
ers  in  the  different  provinces  of  the  Republic. 
Detailed  information  was  sent  to  him  from  all 
parts  of  China,  descriptions  and  photographs  of 
every  Pagoda  as  it  stands  today  were  secured, 
historical  data  were  sifted  and  the  result  was 
a  clearer  knowledge  and  a  wider  information 
than  any  previously  obtained. 

Nor  was  this  all.  The  information,  though 
valuable,  served  only  as  the  first  step  in  his 
study.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  actually  "re- 
building" all  the  famous  Pagodas  of  China  and 
in  this,  too.  he  was  at  a  distinct  advantage  :  he 
had  under  his  direction  about  three  hundred 
orphan-boys,  trained  in  artistic  and  mechanical 
tiades.  skilled  wood-carvers,  painters,  decora- 
tors, carpenters,  and  above  all,  willing  workers. 
The  orphans  of  Zi-ka-wei.  appreciative  of  and 
grateful  for  the  care  which  they  have  received 
from  their  Jesuit  benefactors,  are  docile  and 
quick  to  learn   and   willing:  to  work. 


26  The  Pagoda 


Supplied  with  the  information,  with  the  ma- 
terial and  with  the  builders.  Brother  Beck  be- 
gan his  work  and  has  succeeded  in  "rebuilding" 
eighty-two  of  China's  wonderfully  artistic  Pa- 
godas, of  rebuilding  them  with  an  exactness  in 
every  detail  that  has  compelled  the  admiration 
oi  students  of  Chinese  art  and  architecture 
throughout  the  world. 

We  shall  mention  but  a  few  of  the  special 
features  of  Brother  Beck's  work.  The  "Marble 
Pagoda"  of  Nanking,  "Si-hia  shan  Ku  ta.*'  as 
it  is  called  in  Chinese,  was  built  in  M7  A.  1). 
and  its  stone-carved  images  are  marvels  of  prim- 
itive Chinese  art.  Statues  of  Buddha  and  of 
warrior-kings  of  heroic  dimensions,  storied 
panels  and  bas-reliefs,  borders  and  friezes  and 
cornices,  every  inch  of  which  is  an  elaboration 
of  microscopic  detail-work,  unite  to  make  this 
monument,  which,  after  the  lapse  of  fourteen 
centuries,  is  in  a  very  good  state-  of  preserva- 
tion, the  most  interesting  in  the  whole  range  of 
Chinese  archeology.  Brother  Beck's  model, 
though    necessarily    in    miniature,    has    repro 

duced  ever)  feature,  from  the  colossal  statues 
of  warrior-kings  down  to  the  smallest  detail  in 
the   wonderfully  lahyrinthian   panels. 

Another  interesting  Pagoda  is  the  Buddhist 
Stupa,  with  it-  HKM)  idols.     It  is  nine  stories  in 


JEH-HO-TA 
A    Pagoda    of    the    Tsing    Dynasty.       Height    213    feet. 


*<293035 


:S 


The  Pagoda 


height  and  of  exceptionally  beautiful  lines.  The 
gracefully  curved  gables  terminate  in  hanging 
bells,  fifty-six  in  number,  the  balconies  or 
porches   that   surround   the    Pagoda   at    intervals 

are  tastefully  executed.  Built 
iu  the  seventeenth  century, 
it  is  one  of  the  few  religious 
monuments  of  the  Manchu 
dynasty;  but  though  com- 
paratively recent,  it  is  none 
the  less  a  rtistic.  I  n  fact, 
with  the  possible  exception 
of  the  '*<  rreal  I  'agoda"  of 
Soochow-fu,  and  the  "Por< 
lain  Tower,"-  -  the  "I  'ag<  >da 
<>t"  Gratitude"  of  Nanking, — 
it  is  the  most  beautiful  and 
the  most  graceful  in  China. 
Wonderful,  however,  as  the 
original  structure  was,  the 
model  reproduced  by  I  broth- 
er Beck's  orphan  boys  i  s 
easily  conceded  to  be  a 
greater  achievement.  All  ol 
tlu  1,000  i<lols  are  carved,  in  miniature,  of 
course,  but  with  microscopic  exactness.  The 
little  reproduced  bells  hang  gracefully  from  the 
upturned    roofs,   the   balconies   arc   carved    with 


*r.-. 


*v 


The     Buddhist     Stupa 

The   Pagoda  of   1000 
i.L.ls.      Every    one    ol 

these    i'i"lH    haa    i >< 

faithfully     reprod 

by  the  "t  phans  of  Zl- 

l<:i-\M-i 


The  Pagoda  29 


precision   and   fidelity  to  every,   even   the   small- 
est, detail. 

The  limits  of  this  sketch  prevent  a  further 
explanation  of  the  work  of  reconstruction  ac- 
complished by  the  Zi-ka-wei  orphans.  Those 
who  are  interested  in  the  achievement  may  visit 
the  exhihit  of  eighty-two  Pagodas  in  the  Palace 
of  Education  of  the  Panama-Pacific  Interna- 
tional Exposition.  There  they  will  have  an 
opportunity  to  see,  for  themselves,  the  nature 
of  the  work  accomplished.  Ma:iy,  it  is  true, 
will  not  appreciate  to  the  full,  the  scientific  value 
of  the  collection  and  the  enormous  work  which 
it  implies,  hut  no  one  can  fail  to  admire,  in  a 
general  way,  both  the  architectural  skill  of  the 
original  Chinese  builders  and  the  painstaking 
and  laborious  reconstructive  work  of  the  or- 
phans of  Zi-ka-wei. 


Q 

uaim 


riA 


U--,Cw/L.i  J 


